A walk in the woods.

“I have to report for jury duty tomorrow morning so I picked up a copy of "A Walk in the Woods". Has anyone read this book and if so, how was it?”

“Yes, everyone but me has read it!”

“It's more geared to the non-backpacker than the backpacker.
Scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 6. Hard to explain why I wasn't thrilled with it. Maybe his lack of experience and that he focused a lot about the joys of getting to the next civilized spot and not the wilderness of the trip.”

“Some claim it is funny but I thought it was a waste of time. Bill Bryson writes books for $$$$. He doesn't know anything about the real South or backpacking for that matter.”

“Some claim it is funny but I thought it was a waste of time. Bill Bryson writes books for $$$$. He doesn't know anything about the real South or backpacking for that matter.”

“Entertaining enough for me to finish it once started. That's about it. I was not amused by his attitude toward littering.”

“It's amusing, and (also) enough to get me to finish reading it. It's more of an account of an "inexperienced" hiker.”

“If you want jury duty to seem even longer and more plodding than it normally is, Bryson's book is s good one. Very disappointing. I finished it only hoping he would redeem himself for his general oafishness, but he doesn't. It was a lark that even he fails to ever comprehend. I can see why his wife didn't mind him leaving home for weeks at a time.

Take Colin Fletcher's "The Man Who Walked Through Time" for a good long hike story. Or Paul Theroux's "The Old Patagonian Express" for a train trip with an insightful, jaundiced, intelligent traveler.”

“The little debbie eating big fat guy was funny, but I'd have to agree with the rest. Try "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond, it is much more interesting.”

“Oooh, good recommendation TrailBuddy! I've just read a bit of it and it awaits my return.”

“Bryson reeeally ticked me off with the littering scene - killed it for me. Anybody want my copy (almost new)...Tarpy?”

“I leafed through it at the store...read about the fat woman who stole the cupcakes...but didn't have any money on me at the time.

What was the littering scene?”

“LOL I don't remember a fat woman steeling cupcakes.

I thought it was hilarious. I was very disappointed at the ending because they never did become Mountain men. It was funny just the same.

RL gave me his book to read. I can pass it on if someone else wood like to read it. :o)”

“Pretty funny but for some reason I did not finish it, kinda like the author!!!”

“Tommy: I think the littering scene being referred to is where Bryson's friend gets pissed off becuase his pack is too heavy and he packed too much crap. The friend's solution is to chuck a bunch of contents off a cliff.

I thought the book had its amusing moments but as a backpacker, I thought he was a wuss. Hopefully it will deter some people from backpacking!”

“Its an easy read, probably worth the time. A friend lent me the book and it was worth every penny I spent on it.

It starts off OK. I found some of it pretty funny and interesting... but then it sort of peters out in unfinished fashion, just like his "thru hike attempt."

I think much of it was made up or exaggerated (I think he cut corners with the book, just like he did with the hiking).

The littering scene didn't bother me. I took it as just a story about stupid and destructive crazyness.”

“...or laziness!”

“Gosh I'm glad to see that I was not the only person that didn't like that book.It was amusing at times but the littering and the belittling of relgious peoples really turned be off!”

“I read somewhere that his fat hiking buddy was a total fabrication.”

“oh, give the pretentiousness a rest. it was half fiction, anyways. i thought it was funny. the end was a little too much like an information guide, but it wasn't as bad as the holier-than-thou hiker would have you think.”

“Well said Rad...did I just say that?”

“yes, you will now be as hated as i!

moowAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAaaa!!!!”

“i'm going to have to come to bryson's defense here....he made no claims to being a backpacker ....he is a travel writer-pure and simple....he did not write the book to satisfy the cravings of trail junkies....he wrote it to entertain the vast majority of folks who will never (ever)hit the appalachian trail (and, as was mentioned above, to earn big bucks)....he did his homework and presented a satisfactory history of the trail and some of the notable characters associated with it....

give him another chance you guys....check out bryson's encounter with australia "in a sunburned country" to quote bryson himself, he is humerous "in a pathetic sort of way...."”

“oh come on...I didn't think I said anything too disparaging about the guy. I mean, there are some funny moments in the book...
So, anyone want this damn thing or what?!?
;oP”

“As a BPer and a travel writing fan, I found Bryson came up short on both accounts. Want to read some fine travel writing? Track down Bill Barich's Traveling Light. He includes pieces on fly fishing the Russian in Calif., horse racing in U.S., England, and Italy (even if you don't understand it going in, he takes you inside the event and culture of it in each country), and in "At the Fountain," Rad, he explains the intricacies of how to pick a pub in London. Really good writing.”

“kewl. beer pickin!”

“I was just telling Budder this weekend how disapointed I was in the book simply for the fact that his fat trash sling buddy wasn't even a real person. He made him up. I read the condensed version in Readers Digest and his buddy quit after the first night. After I tried to finish the book (couldn't get past the history junk) I found out the guy was fake. Shame really, I liked him better than Brison.”

“Amiee...send it to me! I'll give it a read. Then I can discuss it as intelligently as everyone else, just a few days too late.”

“I you can do better than "A Walk in the Woods". I thought the first part was amusing but then it got really boring. I almost didn't finish it. He wasn't hiking.”

“The condensed Reader's Digest version??? I guess it must not be out in comic book format.”

“I thought it was humerous. The fat guy's name was Katz. He was fictional but reminded me of what it would be like to take a good pal of mine backpacking. He IS Katz! Maybe that's why I enjoyed it as much as I did. I will agree that the second half of the book lacked the spunk of the first half. It became a bit slow and tired. I sure did crack up when Katz chucked his snickers on accident though.

I just started a book called "Silence of the North". Anyone ever come acrosst it before? It's really good so far. A true story about a woman who survives all sorts of terrible stuff in the Artic wilderness in the 1930's. Ben East wrote it for her; he wrote for "Outdoor Life".”

“"In a Sunburned Country" is a lot better read. Bryson is best at travel writing.”

“Tommeekins, it's yours!
send me your addy...

amyg@backpacker.com”

“OK ....I thought the parts with Katz were funny. I am pretty layed back tho and didn't get worked up about the littering or religous stuff or anything else. I listened to it on tape while painting a closet. So I might have thought the ending was a little boring too if I was reading it. But since it was a choice between watching paint dry or listening to him go on about the history of the area.....it wasn't bad.”

“Pekka, Do you like the travel videos with Michael Palin? Pole to Pole or Around the World in 80 Days?”

“Willow, I have enjoyed Michel Palin's travel episodes I've seen, which were mostly from the 80 Days series. I think he did another besides Pole to Pole that I caught part of. Bryson could learn something from him. Palin would be an antidote to those who find Paul Theroux's books too jaundiced (though at his best Theroux is excellent). If you like humor with a travel element, find Calvin Trillin's Travels With Alice, sly and dry.

My wife recommends a book called Dinner With Persephone by Patricia Storace, about a woman's year traveling in Greece, putting up with the macho Greek culture.

Edward Hoagland's Notes From the Century Before, about a three-month trip through northern British Columbia in the mid 1960s is an absolute must for anyone with interest in that area.”

“I would give the book high marks. It is insightful and informative. He points out some real discrepancies with the park service. He doesn't pretend to be a backpacker and he has a fine sense of humor.”

“Read it ... kinda liked it.”

“Pekka, thanks I will try to look those books up the next time I am at the library.”

“One of my writing students, a fellow in his 40s and a lifelong resident or visitor of the Northwoods, had borrowed AWITW and returned it today. Said he loved it. When I said that Katz was apparently fictional, he noted that Katz shows up in Bryson's Australia book, too. This guy has read and enjoyed most of Bryson's books, so it suits his tastes, which obviously aren't everyone's, including mine. I'll remind myself to grade him without prejudice when the term ends, LOL.”

“8D”

“I thought this book was hilarious and insightful. Especially funny parts about "gear-heads" talking about their stuff. Good insights into the trash/mall sprawl syndrome in America. Why did these guys each carry their own two-person tents?
-Crash-”

“well, the one guy was supposedly reeeeeally fat!”

“It's not a "how to backpack book". It is a funny, entertaining, and insightful book. I'll admit, I was shocked that he didn't do anything about the littering, but that is part of the whole "don't know what I'm doing out here" thing. It's worth reading. A whole lot more enjoyable than "Walden". What's with that guy anyway?”

“Hey you guys, write your own stories, sort of like Chicken Soup for Backpackers. Maybe someone would publish it and you could actually get $$$$ too.”

“Just read the first four chapters...some pretty funny parts. From what I hear it gets better. Can't wait to read more.”

“That's the funny part.
The last of the book is a let down.”

“Yeah, I agree SS. I think he tends to lose focus toward the end of the book. An entertaining read, nonetheless.

I love the part where his friend steals the boot laces from a bunch of uppity weekend warriors.”

“yeah, the ending wasnt as good as the rest...kind of a let down like he'd gotten bored with the trail as he goes into less and less detail...”

“I thought the book was good. But the end did blow. The best part I thought was on the first day when he was chucking stuff out of his pack because it was to heavy”